Paper board folding box



Sept. 19, 1961 I. H. FOWLE ET AL 3,000,547

PAPER BOARD FOLDING BOX Filed Aug. 27, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORSIRVING H. FOWLE FIG.3 FRANCIS J.EMMIN GER ATTORNEYS Sept. 19, 1961 FiledAug. 27, 1959 I. H. FOWLE ET AL PAPER BOARD FOLDING BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 2FIG.4I I

FIG.5

4. I3, ll l2 5 l j V1 I I 1" "T" I I I I l I I l l I I I I I I I I /A II I I I 2 I I\ l7-I\ /I /I I I I l 1 6 I2 7 s 9 I0 3/ |a 20 I FIG.6 i If i L l |9 1 /I 4 l7 INVENTORS IRVING H. FOWLE FRANCIS J. EMMINGERATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,000,547 PAPER BOARD FOLDING BOX IrvingH. Fowle and Francis J. Emminger, Binghampton,

N.Y., assignors to General Aniline 8: Film Corporation, New York, N.Y.,a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 27, 1959, Ser. No. 836,413 1 Claim.(Cl. 22938) This invention relates to a collapsible container or box andmore particularly to a container or box which is adaptable to theshipment or mailing of articles or goods which differ in size.

In certain commercial applications, it is necessary to ship or mailarticles or goods for processing and after processing, the articles orgoods are returned to the original sender. When processing is completed,the articles or goods to be returned may be smaller in size and itbecomes convenient to use the same box or container in which it wasoriginally received for returning to the sender. For example, motionpicture film is generally sold encased in a metal box or magazine andthe purchaser after exposing the film must send the magazine to aprocessing laboratory. After the film is developed it is returned to theoriginal sender and the magazine is retained for reloading by themanufacturer. The box in which the developed film is to be returned can,of course, be much smaller than the box which was sent to the laboratoryand which contained the loaded magazine. It would be of great advantageand convenience, representing also a saving in cost, if the processedfilm could be returned in the same container in which it was sent to thelaboratory.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a collapsiblecontainer and a blank from which it can be made, which container can bemade to accommodate articles of different sizes.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a collapsiblecontainer of paper board or the like which is sufficiently large toaccommodate an article of large size and then may be diminished in sizeto accommodate a smaller article.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a collapsiblecontainer for housing a film magazine for the sale of the film to apurchaser, which container may also be used to ship or mail the magazineto a laboratory for developing and may thereafter be diminished in sizeand used to return the developed film to the original sender without themagazine.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear to thoseskilled in the art from the description thereof given below when takenin connection with the accompaning drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the container as originally produced.

FIG. 2 is a perspective View of the container as originally producedshowing one end open and the flap used for closing the ends of thecontainer.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container after its size has beendiminished.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section of the container on line 4-4 FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section of the container on line 5-5 FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a lay-out of a blank which may be used in forming the novelcollapsible box or container of this invention.

Referring first to FIG. 6 which illustrates the blank used in formingthe box of this invention, the blank A may be cut from any desired sheetmaterial such as cardboard or the like and provided with score or creaselines to facilitate bending, so as to form flat panels 1 and 2 either ofwhich may be the top or bottom wall of the container. Similarly theupstanding side wall panels 3 and 4 and a flap 5 are integral with wall2 and of sufficient length to extend the full length of the containerand close both ends thereof. The flap 5 is scored along lines 6, 7, 8, 9and 10, the latter score lines being at the juncture of the flap 5 andthe wall 2. The flap 5 is also perforated along lines 1112 so that theportion of the flap from lines 1112 to the free end thereof may beeasily detached when it is desired to shorten the container.

The blank A is also provided with a score or crease line 13 to form aglue flap 14. The panels 1, 2, 3 and 4 which form the top, bottom andside walls of the container are also perforated along lines 15 so thatthe portion of these panels between the line 15 and the end thereof awayfrom the flap may be detached in order to shorten the container. Sidewalls 3 and 4 may be provided with projections and additionally scoredat 16 and 17 to form end flaps 18 and 19.

In forming the container, the flap 5 is folded over wall 2 on score line9, the flap 14 is folded over flap 5 at score lines 13, panels 1 and 4are folded over flap 5 at score line 20 and wall 4 is glued to flap 14.This forms the container or box in flat collapsed condition for shipmentand storage. In order to set up the box all that is necessary is topinch the side panels 3 and 4 and pull on the free end of the flap whichbrings the panels 3 and 4 and the portion of the flap between scorelines '9 and 10 into upright position. After the article is placed inthe container, the end of the flap is bent along perforated line 11 andscore line 6 and the end of the flap is tucked in to close thecontainer.

When it is desired 0t diminish the size of the container, all that isnecessary is to tear the container along perforated line 15 and tear offthe flap along perforated lines 1112. The flap 5 is then folded alongscore lines 7 and 8 to form a tuck-in flap and closure for the end ofthe shortened container. It is to be noted that the distance betweenscore line 9 and perforated line 11 approximates the original length ofpanels 1 and 2 and the distance between score lines 8 and 9 approximatesthe length of panels 1 and 2 after they are shortened by tearing at line15, thereby providing a box which has a neat appearance both in itsoriginal size and after it is shortened.

In use, a magazine loaded with photographic film such as motion picturefilm is placed in the novel carton for general sale and distribution.The purchaser of the film, after having exposed it, mails the samecarton containing the magazine and film to the laboratory fordevelopment. The developed film is then returned to the purchaserwithout the magazine, using the same carton by simply tearing it alongthe perforated lines 11, 12 and 15, thereby changing it to a size whichaccommodates the film roll. Thus, the same carton may be used for thesale of the film in a magazine, shipment of the film and magazine to thelaboratory and return of the film to the sender without the magazine.

Obviously the invention is not limited to the exact form illustrated ordescribed. For example, the panels and the flap may be perforated alongtwo or more spaced lines so as to provide three or more different sizesof cartons. Other modifications may also be restored to. Accordingly,our invention is not limited to the exact construction illustrated anddescribed but covers all modifications that fall within the scope of theappended claim.

We claim:

A box-like container comprising top and bottom panels, side Walls, and aflap integral with one of said panels and extending from one endthereof, said flap being of sufiicient length to extend through thecontainer and form a closure for both ends thereof, said panels andwalls being provided with perforations along straight lines and adjacentthe end of the container opposite the end from which said flap extends,whereby the size of'said con- 5 tainer may be diminished by removing aportion of said panels and Walls, said flap also being provided withperforations along a line adjacent the free end thereof, whereby theflap may be shortened by removal of a portion thereof to provide a neatclosure for both ends of 10 the container after it is diminished insize.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSYardusky Dec. 29, 1914 Beach Mar. 15, 1927 Johnson Feb. 14, 1950 FOREIGNPATENTS France J an. 26, 1959

